During this event-packed Milan Fashion Week, Fausto Puglisi found a way to honor Roberto Cavalli (who passed away last April), by bringing seven of the most iconic supermodels from the late ’90s and early 2000s to the runway — the golden era for the Tuscan designer. What better occasion than this to reflect on Cavalli’s legacy in the fashion world? Not only in terms of the essence of his over-the-top aesthetic but also the most iconic moments of his career and the rebellious, flamboyant attitude of one of the most iconic designers of the Naughties.
When Roberto Cavalli started gaining attention in the 1970s, his strength — along with fabric painting — was the creation and patenting of a new way to print on leather. According to the designer, leathers were nothing more than canvases to be painted on, achieving the effect of tattooed bodies. Prestigious brands like Hermès and Pierre Cardin entrusted him with commissions, and in the ’90s came denim, his collaboration with Lycra, and the stretchy jeans that led to the launch of Cavalli Jeans, which later became Just Cavalli.
The World-Building of Roberto Cavalli
Roberto Cavalli’s universe is a world of its own, filled with a range of distinctive elements starting with prints. Animal prints would remain his signature. In the ’70s, he explored savannah-themed patterns, including the famous cheetah print. In the ’90s, Cavalli shifted to zebra prints, softening his approach in the early 2000s with butterfly inspirations. Yet the only true constant remained the python print.
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Cavalli’s style was a true exercise in world-building, constructed through opulence and bold excess, evident even in a 2009 interview — at the end of the recession that challenged Western capitalism — where Mark Seal paints a particularly intriguing profile of the designer. Cavalli responded to the crisis with even more excesses and improbable projects, while his desire to remain one of the most beloved designers among supermodels and celebrities was paramount.
The Most Iconic Moments
On the Instagram account @robertocavalliarchive, there are countless iconic moments that made fashion history. Our favorites, in chronological order: Naomi Campbell on the Fall/Winter 1994-95 runway, Christina Aguilera in 2004 in an explosive red dress, Kate Moss in the Spring/Summer 2006 campaign, and especially Britney Spears in the 2009 video for Lucky, wearing many dream-worthy looks designed by Roberto Cavalli.
In short, Roberto Cavalli will always remain in our imagination as the one who succeeded in making animal prints glamorous, with a taste for excess that, when needed, allows us to dream even in times of crisis. Today, just as back then, we look at the brand’s archive or hope for a promising future for the fashion house, now in the hands of Fausto Puglisi.
